Episode 51: Family Language Planning with Dr Eowyn Crisfield | Supporting Bilingual and Multilingual Children | Talking Their Language with Helen Bodell

Welcome to Talking Their Language with Helen Bodell, the podcast for educators, families, and anyone passionate about multilingualism, language learning, and creating inclusive environments where every language is valued.

In Episode 51, Helen Bodell is joined by Dr Eowyn Crisfield, a leading expert in multilingualism and bilingual education, to explore the importance of family language planning and how families can create positive multilingual environments at home.

As more children grow up using multiple languages, families often have questions about how to support language development, maintain home languages, and make choices that work for their unique circumstances.

In this episode, Helen and Dr Crisfield discuss how intentional language choices can help children develop strong connections with their languages, identities, and communities. They explore practical approaches to creating a family language plan and share advice for navigating the opportunities and challenges of raising multilingual children.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• What family language planning is and why it matters.
• How families can support children growing up with more than one language.
• The importance of maintaining and valuing home languages.
• How language choices can support identity, belonging, and relationships.
• Practical strategies for creating a multilingual environment at home.
• How educators can better understand and support multilingual families.

A child’s languages are a valuable part of who they are. By recognising and supporting multilingualism at home and in education, families and schools can work together to help children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.

Whether you are a parent raising bilingual children, an educator supporting multilingual learners, or someone interested in language development, this episode offers practical advice and expert insight into the world of multilingual families.

Meet Dr Eowyn Crisfield

Dr Eowyn Crisfield is a specialist in bilingualism, bilingual education, and teacher training. With over 20 years’ experience in applied linguistics, she has worked with schools, educators, and families to support multilingual development.

Her work focuses on helping communities understand the value of multilingualism and creating environments where children can develop confidence in all of their languages.

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